On Saturday April 12, four of the world’s top light-heavyweight kickboxers will meet at GLORY 15 ISTANBUL.
They are there to take part in the first World Championship Tournament of 2014. The tournament winner will emerge as the GLORY World Series Light-Heavyweight Champion.
Tyrone ‘King of the Ring’ Spong (90-5, 60 KO’s), Gokhan ‘The Rebel’ Saki (79-16, 56 KO’s), Nathan ‘Carnage’ Corbett (57-4, 45 KO’s) and Saulo Cavalari (28-2, 18 KO’s) are the four participants.
Fans are surprised Danyo Ilunga (54-5, 41 KO’s) is not part of the line-up. But the Congo fighter has a bigger target in his sights.
“I’m told that I am likely to be fighting for the Light-Heavyweight World Championship against whoever wins this tournament, so that is cool,” he says.
“I will win that fight and then I will be back at #1 where I belong.”
Ilunga started 2012 as #1 in the light-heavyweight division but was deposed to #2 after losing to Spong in the final of last year’s tournament. Now that Saki has dropped to light-heavyweight and been ranked at #2 - the same as he was at heavyweight - Ilunga finds himself at #3.
“Saki was #2 at heavyweight and now they have him at #2 as light-heavyweight, though this is his first time at 95 kilograms. I think it is a little bit strange,” says Ilunga.
“I have been pushed down to #3 and I am sad about that, I have been fighting in this division a long time. I fought everyone and it took three years for me to get to #1. But, whatever. I will get back there soon.”
Saki’s move to light-heavyweight has sparked intense interest. He was always small for a heavyweight and his fans have wanted to see him try his hand at light-heavy for a long time.
“I think he is a little bit small for heavyweight so I think light-heavyweight is a good category for him,” says Ilunga.
“But he is going to be facing top fighters here also and I think he won’t have the same speed advantage that he had at heavyweight, because the guys are faster at light-heavyweight.
“Saki and Spong are the favorites to win the tournament. We will probably see them in the final but you never know what will happen in these tournaments. If they do meet, I think Spong has a good chance to win.”
Whoever does win the tournament, there is a good chance that Ilunga will face him for the GLORY Light-Heavyweight Championship Title. Does he have a preference as to who he would like that fight to be against?
He thinks for a while.
“Hmmm… I think for me it doesn’t really matter, but I still have some unfinished business with Spong. So probably him. But they are all good opponents in this tournament; I am happy to fight against whoever wins.”
Ilunga does have a foothold in the tournament however, as he is fighting in a reserve match. He faces GLORY debutant Andre Stoica (31-4, 21 KO’s). Whoever wins will be an alternate for the tournament final should either of the finalists be too injured to compete.
“Stoica is a strong guy and I like his style of fighting,” Ilunga says of the flamboyant Romanian, famous for flying kicks and knockout finishes.
“His style is similar to mine so I think we are going to put on a really good show for the fans. We both have an exciting style. He is #1 in Romania but GLORY is the world stage and I think I am a tough test for him.
“He is a tough fighter and he has good combinations but I think I am by far the strongest opponent he will have faced.”
Ilunga’s training camp for the fight has only just started in earnest. He has spent the last month in his native Congo, Africa, working with his own fighters there and enjoying the adulation which comes from being a mainstream sports figure in his homeland.
“Kickboxing is becoming a lot bigger in Congo and some other African nations like Rwanda, Cameroon and Senegal. They watch all the shows,” he says.
“GLORY is very big on Congolese television. I’m very recognized in Congo. The biggest channel in Congo has been showing at least one of my fights every day for some time now.
“When I go down the street or to the shopping mall its crazy, everybody recognizes me and wants to talk and make pictures. It’s cool. I just made some pictures and video myself actually, for my Facebook, so people can see what it is like in Congo.
“I have some of my own fighters there, we have some good guys who I think are able to fight at the GLORY level. I’m trying to get GLORY to give them a chance. So watch out - Team Congo is coming soon!”
GLORY 15 ISTANBUL takes place Saturday, April 12 in Istanbul, Turkey. The event will air in over 150 countries worldwide and will be broadcast in the USA to over 98 million homes via SPIKE TV.
